VegNet Vol. 14,
No. 3.
On the WEB at: http://vegnet.osu.edu
If experiencing problems receiving this
fax, Call 614-292-3857
In This Issue
1. Cell Phone Text Message Alert System
2. Input for 2007 Farm
Bill
3. Crop Report
4. More Research Reports
VegNet Cell
Phone Text Message Alert System
- from
the OSU Vegetable Team
GROWERS SIGN UP TODAY!
Ever think you may have better managed a crop or pest situation if
you had 1 or 2 days, or even 6 hours advanced warning? The OSU Vegetable Team is piloting an
experimental rapid alert system where critical vegetable pest management and
production information can be sent to grower’s cell phone during the season. These
short messages (150 letters or less) would be used to alert growers of specific
threats or updates (disease, insect, weed, pesticide, frost, weather, etc.) and
point to other resources for more details.
To receive these messages, the cell phone needs to be SMS (simple
message system) capable. Not sure if your cell phone is SMS capable? Contact your cell phone provider and ask
them. Don’t forget to ask them how much it costs to receive text messages; costs
vary with contract and carrier but average about 10 cents per message. We
anticipate using the alert system perhaps 3-4 times per week.
The company we are using works with all major services (Sprint,
Nextel, Verizon, T-Mobile) EXCEPT Cingular.
The text alert system service begins
To sign up for the VegNet Text Alert
message system, email your cell phone number (including area code) to Jim Jasinski (jasinski.4@osu.edu)
or call his office at 937-484-1526.
Your number will not be distributed or used for any other purpose.
If you are dissatisfied with the service, your name can be removed from the
text alert message system at any time by again contacting Jim Jasinski.
Input on
2007 Farm Bill by Fruit and Vegetable Growers Needed Now
Given that Senator Brown’s status as the first Ohioan to serve on
the Senate Agriculture Committee in almost forty years, this is a tremendous
opportunity for
The Senator's goal is to learn about the opportunities and
challenges facing
CONTACT INFORMATION
Joseph A. Shultz
Legislative Assistant
U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown
Phone: 202-224-2315
Fax: 202-228-6321
Joseph_Shultz@brown.senate.gov
Summary
of the SUMMARY OF SPECIALTY CROP SUPPORT
Recommendations
In Brief
Create
greater equity in farm policy by increasing assistance for specialty crop
growers through an array of changes that will enhance their ability to compete
in the marketplace.
Problem
Specialty
crop producers have traditionally been under-represented in farm bill policy.
Five program crops receive 93 percent of direct farm bill cash subsidies, yet
the value of
Recommended
Solution
The
Administration is recommending a broad package of proposed changes to several
titles of the farm bill to provide additional
support to specialty crop producers. Following
is a list of the major components of the package.
Conservation
Title
Enhance
several conservation programs that assist specialty crop producers in managing
natural resources. These include: significant
increases to the Wetlands Reserve Program,
Environmental
Quality Incentives Program, and the Private Lands
Protection Program.
Trade
Title
Phase-in
$68 million in enhanced mandatory funding for the Technical Assistance for
Specialty
Crops (TASC) program including $4 million in FY 2008; $6 million in FY
2009; $8 million in FY 2010; and $10 million thereafter through FY
2013. Increase the
maximum allowable annual project award from
$250,000 to $500,000 and allow more
flexibility to grant TASC project timeline extensions.
Expand
mandatory funding for the Market Access Program (MAP) by $250 million over
10 years
and focus the additional funds on non-program commodities. MAP funding has
shown to be an effective use of funds to expand markets for
While
specialty crops are already a significant user of this program, USDA will
apportion
this new, additional funding to help address the inequity between
crops that are directly subsidized and those commodities that are not directly
subsidized.
Increase
support for a number of initiatives that help to address sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) issues and other trade restrictions
that affect specialty crop and other producers:
1.
Establish a new grant program investing $20 million over ten years to further
focus
resources on addressing international sanitary and phytosanitary issues.
2.
Authorize and provide long-term mandatory funding of $15 million over ten years
to
increase
Alimentarius, the International Plant
Protection Convention, and the World Animal
Health Organization.
3.
Provide enhanced monitoring, analytical support, and other technical assistance
to
support
Nutrition
Title
Provide
new mandatory funding for the purchase of additional fresh fruits and
vegetables for use in the National School Lunch and Breakfast Programs. This
$500 million of funding over 10 years represents a net increase in the total
purchase of fruits and vegetables for school meals over levels available under
any other authorities.
Encourage
food stamp nutrition education and establish a new “USDA Initiative to
Address
Obesity among Low Income Americans,” a five-year $20 million competitive
grant demonstration program to develop and test solutions to the rising
problem of
obesity.
Support
school efforts to offer meals based on the most recent Dietary Guidelines for
Americans, including the encouragement of the increased
consumption of fruits and vegetables.
Reauthorize
the Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) and provide more fruits
and vegetables within the program.
Rural
Development Title
Prioritize
consideration of project applications that involve specialty crops in the Rural
Development Value-added Grants awards-process.
Energy
Title
Initiate
a new, temporary program to provide $100 million in direct support to producers
of cellulosic ethanol. Eligibility for
this program would be restricted to specialty crop
wastes and other cellulosic
biomass feedstocks.
Research
Title
Invest
$1 billion over 10 years to establish a Specialty Crop Research Initiative to
provide
science-based tools for the specialty crop
industry.
Miscellaneous
Title
Utilize
an additional $2.75 billion of Section 32 funds over 10 years to specifically
purchase fruits and vegetables for the National
School Lunch Program and other nutrition programs.
For the
complete summary, go to this URL address; http://www.usda.gov/documents/07sumspecialtycrops.pdf
Crop
Report Brad Bergefurd
Vegetable and fruit crops have sprung in southern
Sweet corn planted under clear plastic as well as bare ground plantings were
being made from the
Tomato transplants that were seeded in the greenhouses the first week of January
were planted in high tunnels the week of March 12 and planting in high tunnels
continues. These first planted tomatoes are now beginning to show bloom, are
being pollinated and continue to be tied and pruned weekly. No sign of any
disease or growth problems. Heaters are not running much this past week with
the warm night temperatures.
Plasticulture strawberry growers began nitrogen fertigations this week with the rapid new growth that is
occurring to the crop. Matted row strawberry growers raked straw off their
fields this week due to high temperatures and new growth occurring. Lime sulfur
applications not previously applied to bramble and blueberry crops have been
applied early this week for bud swell and leaf out is occurring rapidly with
high temperatures in the mid to high 80's.
Cabbage and Kohlrabi are being transplanted to the field. Seeding continues in
the greenhouse on tomatoes, melons, watermelons, peppers, cucumbers, squash and
onions. Asparagus has been mowed in the past two weeks and pre emerge
herbicides have been applied. Rhubarb is beginning to show new full leaf.
Deer pressure seems to have increased this spring with reports of damage to
blueberry, bramble and strawberry crops coming in already. Deer have damaged
several sections of our temporary deer fencing that we apply around our all
research fields at Piketon this past weekend.
Some growers have begun planting several fields to crops of mixed mustard that
are being used as natural biofumigation/covercrops in
their fruit and vegetable fields. This cropping system has had good results in
replicated trials performed at the
Growers continue to participate in last minute pesticide training and
recertification programs, Extension vegetable and fruit training schools,
spread lime and fertilizer, moldboard plow and chisel plow, work ground,
spreading manure, cutting and treating seed potatoes, laying and repairing
drainage tile, repairing and readying irrigation pumps and laying out
irrigation pipe for frost protection and fertigation
of strawberry and ready and repair machinery and equipment for the spring fruit
and vegetable season..
Research
Reports